Commentry
195.5 km
Sunday 7 September
Second stage: Vézelay – Commentry. 195,5 kilometres. Start at 12:05. After a breakaway under the control of the main pack and several attempts in the last part of the stage, Vermeltfoort wins the sprint ahead of Paterski and Caruso. Kosyakov keeps his yellow jersey.
After an hour of racing at a decent pace, the serious business started as the riders moved closer to the first intermediate sprint of the day. Several attacks occurred but the pack made it bunched to the line at Bazolles (km 43). Lodewijck (BEL) claimed the sprint ahead of Roux (FRA) and Van der Velde (NED). A few moments later at kilometre 52, Vukets (CAN) managed to break away from the pack. He was soon to be joined by Trotta (ITA) and Gretsch (GER). The three riders saw their lead grow to 5’35 (maximum gap). At the second intermediate sprint at La Machine (km 79,5) claimed by Gretsch ahead of Trotta and Vukets, the pack moved closer at 4’50. At kilometre 110, Vukets was dropped by his companions. The riders of the Russian team then started chasing. The gap then gradually dropped down. It was only of 2’35 on the line of the third and final intermediate sprint at Saint-Menoux (km 128,5) won by Trotta ahead of Gretsch and Vrijmoed.
At the top of the Côte de Gipcy (km 142), the escapees enjoyed a 2’05 lead. Trotta made it first to the top ahead of Gretsch and polka-dot jersey holder Thire (FRB). The chase continued under the influence of the Russian team. The gap dropped down rapidly: 1’20 at the top of the Côte de Buxières-les-Mines (km 152) where Trotta led the way in front of Gretsch and Thire. In the Côte de la Croix-du-Chêne, the leaders continued their efforts. Gretsch made it first to the top (km 155,5) while Osinski (POL), on a counter-attack was 1’10 adrift. The pack remained at 1’20. In the final climb, Osinski was caught back by the pack as Trotta broke away from Gretsch, before reaching the top with a 20’’ lead. In the first positions of the pack Thire made it third at 45’’.
Going downhill, Gallopin (FRA) attacked and caught up with Trotta before dropping him. At the entry of Murat (km 165), Gallopin was alone in the lead with a 45’’ advantage on the pack. He regularly increased his lead. With 25 kilometres to go, he could enjoy a 1’15 lead. The pack increased its pace and moved closer at under a minute with 20 kilometres to go. Gallopin hung on for a while but was to be caught by five riders with 15 kilometres to go. Among them were Coppel and Koren who tried to take off at the first passage on the finish line. In vain, the pack covered the last 7 kilometres bunched. Under the final kilometre mark, the pace increased even more. The sprinters moved up the front positions. With 200m to go, Vermeltfoort (NED) made his move and comfortably won ahead of Paterski (POL) and Caruso (ITA).
In the general classification, Kosyakov keeps his yellow jersey. Trotta captured the polka-dot jersey and Paterski takes command of the points’ standings.
“It’s never easy to win, especially in an event of the level of the Tour de l’Avenir. The team had promised it would work for me in case of a bunched sprint and that’s what they did. I just had to finish off the work by taking off with 200m to go. It’s a very nice victory”.